


Courting a Fishmonger

by thesoravee



Category: Ne Zha (2019), 哪吒之魔童降世 | Né Zhā Zhī Mó Tóng Jiàng Shì (2019)
Genre: Adult Nezha, But not the yandere kind, But there's nothing underage, Canon Divergence, Chapter 2's shooting up the rating, Child!Reader won't take Nezha's shit, Childhood Friends, Cussing as per usual in my fics, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluffy Smut, Friends to Lovers, Mild Sexual Content, Nezha ages somewhat normally, Nezha almost dies, Nezha's sex-ed is nonexistent, Panic Attacks, Possessive Behavior, Puppy Love, Reader is older than Nezha, Reader is taller than Nezha, Sex-positive reader, Teen Nezha, Temporary Amnesia, Unrequited Love, at first anyway, fem!reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:28:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27766771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoravee/pseuds/thesoravee
Summary: Nezha's heart raced and his stomach fluttered as he approached you. For a moment, he thought bile would start to crawl up his throat, but he forced himself to remember his mother's words telling him that, no, the fluttering was not because he suddenly wanted to vomit at the sight of you."It's not disgust," she told him. "It's infatuation. You're in love, Nezha."
Relationships: Ne Zha/Reader, Nezha/Reader, Nézhā | Third Lotus Prince/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. At First, I Was Just a Kid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno why I only just saw Nezha/Ne Zha, but I did. I like the six-armed demon man, yes I do.
> 
> So um
> 
> here.
> 
> As a reminder from the tags, there's nothing underage going on here. Starting in the next chapter, he'll be eighteen.

"One."

In the distance, Nezha watched everyone freeze in their places, frantically turning their heads in the direction of his bored voice as it carried through the village.

"Two."

Various pairs of eyes widened and lips quivered in anticipation of the upcoming terror. Not a soul moved yet, but surely, that was going to change in a second.

"Three."

Terrified shrieks and screams erupted in the air as the village exploded into chaos: children were swept into the arms of adults as they all rushed into nearby buildings, some of the villagers knocked each other onto the ground and trampled over one another in an effort to find shelter, and those who couldn’t find anywhere to hide poorly disguised themselves as part of the surrounding environment. As he watched the fools scramble about, the boy forced a smirk onto his lips as he continued to count upwards.

"Four."

The villagers who holed themselves into their homes barricaded the insides of their windows and doors with lightning speed; the slamming of doors and the banging and knocking of furniture inside the stone homes rang through the air. To a passerby, it might have sounded like the village was under attack by some soldier unit from an enemy clan.

"Five."

Nezha spotted the burly-built yet feminine-sounding man as he vaulted into a well, causing a large amount of now-wasted drinking water to splash onto the ground. Gods, why did he always pick _that_ as a hiding location?

"Six."

The boy exhaled sharply through his nose, scanning the area as villagers finished clearing out. His primary objective was to search for you, the girl who befriended him eight years ago, the girl who didn't treat him like an outsider like the rest of these morons tended to do.

"Seven."

As the boy continued on, kicking up dirt and grass with each step he took, the scent of sea salt and fish entered his nostrils, signalling that he was close to your stall. Nezha's mind was flooded with vivid images of your physique, your laughter, your smile…

"Eight."

As he approached your stall, he watched as you sat on your lonesome, resting your head on one of your palms. You were now a mid-teenager at seventeen, not yet on the cusp of adulthood, but no longer a child, either. Nezha himself turned thirteen not long ago, which meant he should be in your league now, right?

"Nine."

Your head turned in his direction and your eyes lit up as you beamed a smile towards the boy. Nezha's heart raced and his stomach fluttered as he approached you. For a moment, he thought bile would start to crawl up his throat, but he forced himself to remember his mother's words telling him that, no, the fluttering was _not_ because he suddenly wanted to vomit at the sight of you. _It's not disgust,_ she told him. _It's infatuation. You're in love, Nezha._

 _And in love with the daughter of a fishmonger, at that?_ the Matchmaker would complain, eyeing the fresh teen each time she expressed her disdain for his romantic interest. According to her _misguided_ judgment, Nezha's affections could've at least directed him towards a war general's daughter, or the daughter of a neighboring lord, or someone else of upper status. Yet, each time the Matchmaker presented him and his family with a potential bride around his age, Nezha would reel in disgust and protest, scolding the Matchmaker and letting it be known that he refused to marry any of those girls. They weren't you, and none of them could _ever_ be you. You, with your pretty smile, and your beautiful eyes, your laugh, and how you smelled like the tang of the salty ocean. He was proud to call you his friend, and even _prouder_ to coin you as his target of affection.

~~~§~~~

_"I can't believe you actually took me up on this offer," you said with a somewhat troubled sigh, pushing your fishing boat towards the water's edge where the ocean kissed the dark brown sand at the shore. "I might get in trouble with your parents if they know I brought you to the beach with me. Too late now though, I suppose."_

_As you finished speaking, Nezha watched as you gave one final heave and sent your fishing boat out into the tranquil ocean water. You hopped in right before it left the shore completely, and the small fishing boat gently bobbed up and down from the impact of your movement. You were thirteen, and your acquaintance with Nezha was beginning to transition into a slight friendship. Earlier this morning when you caught the boy strolling about the outskirts of the village, you promised you would take him out to the ocean to watch the sunset go by as long as he didn't terrorize any of the villagers. He obliged, acting on his best behavior, though his demon side_ **_itched_ ** _to wreak havoc and cause mischief for the foolish people of your village._

_But, his grueling patience paid off; a promise was a promise, and here he was with you, ready to embark on a journey across the emerald sea._

_Nezha smiled toothily in response, holding onto the sides of the boat as you picked up the paddle and began to row. "My parents won't do anything. They never do," he purred in reassurance, crossing one of his legs over the other. "But who cares? This is my first time out in the ocean!" You rolled your eyes and gave the boy a gentle smile, which caused his own to widen in return._

_You continued to command your boat and stir the ocean waves with slow yet powerful strokes, and the boy couldn't help but be mesmerized by the movement of the water as it swayed around the edges of the boat and the paddle, splitting into a foamy white v-shaped wake. Nezha leaned over one side of the boat, tracing the edges of the foamy water and allowing the wetness of the ocean to tease his fingertips. The gentle sea spray and mist from the surrounding air stuck to his skin just enough to create a bit of moisture on his body, but not enough to drench him completely like a soaked dog. Objectively-speaking, the boat ride was less exciting than what he and Taiyi experienced in the Mountains and Rivers painting, but he was accompanied by you, his second friend, so he didn't mind in the slightest. Nezha then turned around to face the front of the boat, eagerly looking out to the horizon. A gentle gust of cool air kissed his skin and hummed across his ears. From this view, the sea looked absolutely vast, limitless,_ **_infinite!_ **

_"Can we explore the ocean? Just you and me?" Nezha asked excitedly, sitting up tall as he vividly imagined what all you two would come across. Perhaps you would discover new lands, or better yet, find challenging foes to face! In fact, Ao Bing is a dragon, and he's seen so much of the world, so perhaps he could come with—_

_"Sorry, but this is as far as we go," you replied as you slowed the boat to a stop and angled it parallel to the horizon. He could hear the clanking of wood against wood as you laid the paddle back inside of the boat. Nezha turned his torso and head to look over his shoulder and saw you flash him an apologetic smile. "Any further and we could encounter stormy waters, or maybe even sea demons."_

_"Pffft, I'd protect you. Any demons that want to eat you will have to go through me first."_

_"My hero," you teased with a laugh, crossing your legs together and taking a spot beside Nezha. Flaming reds and violets blazed through the sky, overtaking the daytime blue as the sun began to set below the horizon. The ocean beautifully reflected the evening colors like a mirror, brightly radiating the same hues as the sky above. After a while, it seemed like the line between sky and sea was blurred, and they danced and cascaded together as one in the distant horizon. Nezha occasionally made a comment you would reply to, but overall, things were fairly silent between you two as the sun slowly sank behind the ocean. Normally, Nezha would feel impatient and restless, yet he felt oddly content by your side; after all, you were his friend, and he wanted to be around you like how he wanted to be around Ao Bing._

_But for some reason, this felt…different._

_The boy looked at you, studying your features as the light illuminated you in just the right way: your eyes shone vividly and the color of your skin mixed well with the emerald-blue of the ocean below you, as well as with the warm hues of the sky above. Your face held such a tranquil smile, and your demeanor was peaceful as you continued to sit next to Nezha. You seemed to notice that he stared at you, but it looked like you didn't mind since your radiant smile only grew wider._

_"In awe, huh? The sunset's really pretty, isn't it?"_

_And you are too, a sudden voice in his mind said._

~~~§~~~

"Are you going to finish counting?" you asked with amusement, leaning over the counter to look at the boy as he snapped out of his trance. Your head was surrounded by the dead hanging fish you aimed to sell, and over the years, Nezha had gotten used to the sight of your family's stall…as well as the smell. As much as Nezha loved the sea salt scent you and your stall gave off, he _despised_ how much the fish itself reeked. "You've been staring into space for a while now, Nezha."

As you finished speaking, Nezha heard a series of muffled protests from your friends that regarded calling you crazy for "talking to the demon and hastening his counting". While you looked under your stall and chastised your peers for their rude remarks, the boy frowned and promptly raised his left foot in the air behind him, readying a powerful kick.

"Ten."

Nezha swung his leg forward and you shrieked as the wood of your stall shattered and splintered where the boy's foot crashed through it, causing wood chips to fly everywhere and leaving a gaping hole that revealed the terrified expressions of your friends. They violently shook in front of Nezha, and with half-lidded, unimpressed eyes, the boy boredly demanded:

"Get lost, morons."

After watching your friends cower in fear and eventually flee from the scene, you shot a seething glare towards the boy and gestured towards the fresh hole in your stall. "Nezha, what the hell!? You owe me for that, you know!"

Nezha shrugged nonchalantly, sauntering behind the counter and to your side. His head came just below the bottom of your sternum, making him much shorter than most boys his age. His short stature aggravated him at times, but the boy figured that in the future, he'd naturally be blessed with the height and the build of a _man._ Perhaps he would channel the physique of his father, even. All he had to do was wait, much to his dismay.

"They're cowards," Nezha answered you with a drawl, taking a brief moment to glance at the hole he made before turning his attention back to you. "Besides, we're alone now, aren't we?"

"Not really. The other village folk are technically still here, too," you replied, bending down to his height to make yourself level with him.

Nezha hummed in amusement as he felt all eyes of the hiding fools lock onto the two of you, and a toothy smirk stretched across his lips as shoved his hands into the sides of his pants.

"Guess they'll have to hear what I want to say then," the boy stated, relaxing his posture and resting most of his weight on one hip. From his peripheral vision, he could see someone peek their head out from a barrel, and he had half a mind to kick it into dust.

But, just for you, he wouldn't cause more chaos for now.

"You make me get this pressure in my chest and stomach, so it feels like I have to throw up every time I think about you. My heart also speeds up and my cheeks sometimes get hot."

Your face remained neutral as he spoke, though he could tell you also had some sort of unreadable emotion in your eyes. Concern? Anticipation, maybe? …Fear?

Gods, he hoped it wasn't _fear._

"At first I thought you disgusted me or gave me some kind of fever, but Mother says that I'm in love. If that's true…"

Nezha's smirk grew even wider as he leaned into your personal space, only leaving a few inches between his face and yours. More people peeked out from their hiding spots, and Nezha wanted to scream at them to _mind their own damn business_ (which he immediately realized went against what he just said about letting the villagers hear him), but he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"…then that means you have to kiss me."

Nezha swore he heard a gasp from a few of the nosy villagers, but his attention was focused on you instead. You blinked, though the boy couldn't tell if you were astonished or receptive until you gently pushed him back by his shoulder, causing him to frown.

"Nezha, I'm four years older than you are," you said with a hint of disapproval in your voice.

The boy's brows furrowed as he pouted, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Why were you, someone who was supposedly more mature than he was, being so stingy over a _kiss?_

"Four years isn't that big of an age difference. Just look at my parents," Nezha countered. As the conversation continued, he could see and hear _even more_ villagers look out of their windows and doors.

He wanted to be on his best behavior today, but his patience was quickly running thin with these people.

"Your parents are both grown adults, Nezha, so that reasoning doesn't apply to us. I'm almost an adult, and you _just_ became a teenager. I'm not going to kiss a thirteen-year-old," you said with a sigh. Even Nezha couldn't deny the truth to your words, and as he thought for a moment, he avoided your gaze and stared at the sky. In fact…how _would_ others react to seeing you together? A flowering young lady, and a small _boy,_ side-by-side? Nezha frowned because, Gods, he _hated_ knowing his frame of thinking was wrong, especially in a situation like this.

Perhaps he could come to a compromise of sorts.

"When I'm eighteen, then," the boy replied as he looked into your eyes. Your sweet, lovely eyes. You were quiet for a moment, tightening your lips as it looked like you thought of something to say to him. Eventually, you inhaled and exhaled deeply and leaned closer to him, hushing your voice so any eavesdroppers hopefully wouldn't hear, he figured.

"Provided you still have feelings for me, and I reciprocate them."

"Of course you will," he cooed lowly, his volume matching yours. His chest soared as he felt his spirits beginning to lift. "You'd be an idiot to not return my feelings."

You smiled at the boy and patted the top of his head. You then used your hand on his head as leverage and brought him towards you, allowing you to whisper into his ear.

"I have a proposition for you: when you're old enough, you can court me. If things develop between us, maybe I'll marry you one day." You then formed a strained smile across your lips. _"After_ you fix my stall, that is."

Nezha's eyes widened and his heart slammed into his chest as he processed your words (and ignored your final sentence). The boy nearly whooped and flipped about with excitement, but he forced himself to contain his emotions. With his cool reputation on the line, he didn't need the rest of these fools to see him in such a vulnerable state.

Instead of verbally replying, he simply nodded in an act of nonchalance, wanting to draw attention away from his flushed cheeks and the burning tips of his ears. You said your goodbyes to the boy, and he gave another curt nod before venturing to the edge of the village. As Nezha left, he heard a series of relieved sighs and confused murmurs among the populace, and even passed by a building in which the villagers thanked the gods that you managed to pacify Nezha that day.

He smirked, and in retaliation, kicked and cracked the stone wall of the building they were in. They shrieked and fell quiet again.

_Good._

When Nezha returned to his shield-guarded home (or his _prison,_ he thought), the two incompetent Boundary Beasts began to scold him for running off again, warning the boy about how livid his parents were going to be when they found out he terrorized the town. Nezha just shrugged, remarking that all he did was kick a hole into a fish stall and crack a stone wall, and simply ignored the rest of the beasts’ words as they pleaded to make Nezha promise he would calm down after today.

Instead of responding, the boy continued to roam the estate, all the while feeling the corners of his lips twitch as he tried to contain his smile. Some of the other servants tried to get his attention, though he either shrugged them off or outright demanded they go away. Eventually, Nezha made his way to his room, opening the brown doors and sauntering inside with his hands still in the sides of his pants. Once inside, he closed the doors behind him and stepped over the debris and rubble created from his previous tantrum, before he stood still in the middle of his room. Now convinced he was truly alone, Nezha promptly exploded into a gleeful fit of screaming and shouting, finally able to release his giddy grin and pent-up ecstasy. Even if his parents and the fatty punished him for leaving, who cares!? Nezha got to see you again, and that made up for everything.

_When you're old enough, you can court me._

Nezha flopped onto his bed, his widened eyes staring at the ceiling in his room. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily from the rush of excitement and adrenaline in his system, and his face burned a furious red with a puppy love blush.

_If things develop between us, maybe I'll marry you one day._

Eighteen couldn't come fast enough.


	2. But Now I'm a Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To preface, I didn't mean for things to go this far. So, there goes the rating, I guess. ._.
> 
> Also, I wanted to do some fluffy smut instead of sexy smut. A bit odd, but I just really prefer when there's some cute or sappy moments behind things.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Oh, also--the scars I'm referring to for Nezha and Ao Bing are Lichtenberg figures. Which, if I remember right, eventually go away, but Nezha and Ao Bing were struck with heavenly lightning, soooooo. Also, they both managed to keep their physical forms here, because why not.

Nezha stood at the edge of the beach, digging his toes into the wet brown sand as he fiddled with the tan-pink conch in his hands, fingertips tracing along the fine indents and ridges of the shell. The ocean water lapped at his feet, gently sticking the smell of sea salt onto him before retreating into the rest of the tide. The wind blew through his already-floating hair, making it swish back and forth like leaves in a gentle breeze during a calm spring morning. Taking a deep breath, the young man pursed his lips and firmly blew into the conch, listening as its low bellows echoed into the distance before finally dissipating into silence. Within an instant, Ao Bing appeared before Nezha, giving him a cordial smile.

"Yes, my friend?" the dragon asked, voice soft and soothing, and far deeper than when they were children. Fitting, of course, considering the two of them were adults now, but it was a noteworthy change nonetheless. Ao Bing's horns and hair also grew longer, signalling a transition to adulthood in his human form. Similarly to when they were younger, Nezha was still fairly shorter than Ao Bing, only coming up to the bottom of the dragon's chest.

Although, in the fiery young man's defense, Ao Bing was taller than the vast majority of humans in general, versus just Nezha himself.

"My eighteenth birthday is coming up in a week, and you’re invited," Nezha told the dragon, before casting a reassuring smile to him. "Master Taiyi promised there were no other Heavenly Tribulations in store for me, so this birthday won't turn out like my sixteenth."

Ao Bing hummed in agreement, tracing a series of dark branching scars that ran across his forehead, eyes and right cheek. In the past, the dragon's skin was pale and clear of any imperfections, but after being shocked by the heavenly lightning two years ago, dark scars (which Chou's younger sister affectionately dubbed "tree branches") littered his entire body, being especially prominent on his back, but most obviously seen on his face and hands. Some of the scars even managed to trail into his scalp, permanently singing the follicles underneath, which caused some strands of black hairs to mix with his normal sapphire locks.

Upon seeing his friend's reaction, Nezha couldn't help but glance at his own branching scars, lifting up his right arm and tracing the black branches with the fingers of his left hand. The gold of the Universe Ring on his wrist oddly complemented the scars, giving a ruggish regality to the young man. On his own face, some of the scars bled into the two red markings underneath his eyes, causing the branches in that area to be tinted a deep sanguine like watercolor paints blending together on paper.

"I'll be there," Ao Bing suddenly replied, breaking Nezha out of his thoughts. The young man nodded in response, beaming a satisfied grin to his draconic friend.

"Good."

"I assume the woman you have affections for will also be there?

"Obviously! There's no reason not for her to come. Besides, I want you to meet her."

The dragon tilted his head as his brows furrowed into a subtle expression of confusion. A gentle breeze swept through his hair, making his blue locks appear as mesmerizing as the calm waves of the ocean itself.

"I already met her during the sea yaksha attack."

Nezha rolled his eyes, shifting his weight onto one leg.

"That doesn’t count because it was an _attack,_ not an actual introduction."

The dragon chuckled lowly, acknowledging Nezha's words with a nod.

"Very well. I can re-meet her at your party, then."

~~~§~~~

The instant Nezha saw a group of swooning suitresses step foot onto his family's estate, he immediately regretted his decision to make a spectacle of his eighteenth birthday. Each and every one of these women was the daughter of a lord from a neighboring clan, or the niece of a general, or the granddaughter of a politician. Nezha's parents warned the other lords that he had his eyes on you (though they didn't divulge who you were specifically), however, the lords still insisted on showing up to his eighteenth birthday since Nezha was coming of age. As long as the idea of a political marriage wasn't pressed, they were allowed to stay as long as they liked.

That warning didn't stop the suitresses themselves, though.

"Lord Nezha, are you still looking for a bride?" one of them asked him, smiling sweetly and flirtatiously fluttering her eyelashes. "If you had one, she would be with you right now, so I think you're bluffing when you say you're courting someone."

"I already found the woman I want to marry, and you aren't even close to being the one," the young man bluntly and dryly replied, brushing off the woman’s advances. Nezha was far more focused on finding you, and after a few moments, his brown eyes landed on your figure as you mingled with the kitchen staff of the Li estate. Over the years, you'd grown from a pretty bud of a girl into a beautiful lotus of a _woman,_ much to Nezha's delight, and you even built a bit of muscle, as well. During his recovery from the Heavenly Tribulation, Nezha learned that you occasionally sparred with his mother and some of the other people you grew up with in the hopes of learning how to efficiently defend yourselves against demons. Although you weren't incredibly adept with combat, you knew enough to be able to hold your own in case you were attacked. More than anything, your specialty laid in strength training and endurance—what you lacked in advanced fighting skill, you certainly made up for with raw power.

~~~§~~~

_From a nearby rooftop, Nezha observed with interest as you and Chou trained together in the relatively new sparring arena built on the Li estate. It was constructed a little less than a year ago, as many of the teenagers and young adults in the village expressed interest in receiving combat training. Demon attacks were becoming more rampant all across Chentang Pass, and as it seemed, having even the_ **_smallest_ ** _amount of combat knowledge was far better than knowing nothing._

_You and Chou formed an odd dichotomy in each of your fighting styles: you were shorter and lighter than the young warrior, yet you relied on powerful and broad, heavy strikes to make a lasting impact. Chou was taller and weighed more than you did, but he countered your hits with fleeting and nimble footwork, causing you to miss many of your attacks. The two of you danced in a flurry of deadlocked strikes—Chou would manage to dodge and block your swings and get a few hits in for himself, but despite the bruises forming on your body, you easily brushed them off and kept up your rhythm. On the other hand, your hits rarely connected, but when they did, they staggered the young man and he would need to take a moment to recover. Seeing your chance, you tackled Chou to the ground, cracking the concrete below from the impact, and used all your weight to pin him down, able to stay on top of him despite his attempts to knock you off._

_Nezha smiled. What he wouldn't give to see you do that again._

_Chou eventually tapped out, muttering a, "Damn, you're tough," and the two of you stayed in your spots as you both panted heavily, chests heaving greatly from such an energetic training session. Sweat coated your muscles as they flexed with adrenaline, yet in spite of that, Nezha saw Chou's hands trail towards your toned hips and rest on top of them, before cupping your cheek in his right hand. A soft look fell on Chou's face, one which Nezha recognized all too well: it was of infatuation, of adoration._

_It was the same one he gave you when he was younger._

_You, on the other hand, appeared surprised by the action. You clasped Chou's hand in your own, beginning to pull it away from your cheek._

_“Chou, I’m sorry, but I—”_

_"Hey," Nezha interrupted with a drawl, hopping down from his spot on the rooftop. His armillary sash majestically flowed behind him as he stood tall, and his black hair floated and danced in the air despite there being no wind. Gentle flames kicked up at his feet, slightly charring the white stone flooring as he walked towards you two. You and Chou quickly looked up at him, before the latter scrambled to remove himself from underneath you. You stood up first and offered to help up your sparring partner; Chou clasped his hand around yours in a tight grip, grunting from soreness as he stood up. Once he stood fully, Chou casted an irritated glance at the flaming young man. Ever since the day of the Heavenly Tribulation, Nezha and Chou developed a rivalry of sorts; much less than friends, but certainly not enemies anymore, either._

_"What do you want, Nezha?"_

_At the very least, Chou stopped calling him a demon._

_Nezha smirked toothily, stepping up to the armor-clad man. Chou had grown considerably over the years, almost being as tall as Ao Bing, in fact, since the human man towered a head and a half over Nezha. The young man only came up to the upcoming warrior's chest, but unlike in the past, he didn't mind in the slightest. Nezha gave his rival a challenging glare, speaking proudly as he maintained his grin._

_"To spend some time with my future wife, of course."_

~~~§~~~

As a result of the combination between sparring and hauling heavy nets of fish for your family's business, your body toned wonderfully as you got older. Nezha would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the way your muscles flexed and relaxed whenever he watched you do any physical activity. Currently, you were pushing a large wheelbarrow filled with your most recent catches, as it was your job to deliver fish to the kitchen to descale, debone, and clean the meat for cooking. Sweat clung to your forehead and brows as you worked, and some of the estate's staff nodded to you as you passed by. You were then directed to where you needed to go, and promptly disappeared into the side entrance of the kitchen area. Nezha couldn't help but smile lovingly as he watched you work, much to the apparent disgust of the woman next to him, since he could practically _hear_ the scowl in her voice as she venomously spat, "A _fishmonger_ girl?"

Nezha turned around to face the woman (what was her name again? Agh, who cares), and her eyes narrowed as she stormed up to him. She stood a bit too close for his liking as she glared up at him, an air of defiance surrounding her presence.

He found the sudden shift away from her "sweet" personality to be amusing, at least.

"I know that look. You love her. You love _her_ , a poor, filthy _fishmonger,_ over someone of status? Of regality? Your… _fetish_ for that commoner is getting in the way of prime opportunities for you to find a good wife. You should feel ashamed, Lord Nezha," she scolded, livid as her face turned red from anger.

Nezha hummed lowly, sauntering into the woman. His chest bumped into her face, and when she realized he didn't plan on stopping, she continued moving backwards to avoid another collision, only for her back to meet a solid wall. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Nezha, who chuckled dryly, before slamming both of his fists against the wall, punching small craters on either side of the woman's head. His eyes blazed with fire as he cast a seething _glare,_ and his teeth grit in fury as his tone reeked of danger and menace.

"I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention: no one _asked_ you to try and court me, nor did I _invite_ you to do so; my parents warned yours that I'm not receptive to advances. I don't care about your worthless opinion or your bitter attitude, and if you feel so petty that you are threatened by the mere _idea_ of the woman I want to marry, then you can leave."

"Nezha," came a calming voice behind him, and he instantly recognized it as Ao Bing. Nezha's head whipped towards the dragon, and almost immediately, Ao Bing bowed in the woman's direction.

"I apologize for his behavior," the dragon said to her. She shoved Nezha's body away from her and gracefully bowed in response, though she didn't hesitate to shoot a hateful glare at the fiery man before storming off with a disgruntled huff. Ao Bing turned back to his friend with a look of concern and disapproval, quietly chastising Nezha.

"Nezha, please don't terrorize the partygoers."

"What's wrong with defending the woman I love?" Nezha justified, raising a brow at the dragon.

"Nothing," Ao Bing responded with a sigh. "But the last thing your people need is a battle on their hands because you upset an important lord's daughter. Please be more careful next time."

"They wouldn't dare to fight me. They'd lose," Nezha bragged, ignoring his friend's words of caution.

_"Nezha."_

"Fine, fine," the young man conceded, throwing his hands into his pockets. "I won't intimidate anyone else."

Satisfied, Ao Bing nodded and smiled warmly at his friend. He spoke again, changing the subject.

"Your wife," he started, and his smile grew wider as Nezha's face lit up upon hearing your mention. "Where is she, by the way?"

 _"Future_ wife. We aren’t married,” Nezha corrected. “And she’s in the kitchens preparing fish for the cooks. Though if things were up to me, I'd give her the day off."

The dragon's throat rumbled in a low hum in response.

“I see. I suppose I’ll speak with her later, then." Ao Bing then fished through his robe and pulled out a shuttlecock; the feathers had dulled in color and the weight was scratched and worn with use, but Nezha reckoned it could still last a fair number more of games before needing to be replaced. "For now though, would you like to play a few rounds of jianzi while we wait for the main festivities to begin?”

“Of course. I hope you’re ready to lose,” the young man challenged with a smirk, leading his draconic friend to the training grounds.

~~~§~~~

Four hours into the party, and Nezha hadn’t been able to speak to you _once._ People from various crowds left and right demanded his time in some way, either through friendly conversation, congratulating his coming of age, or in this case, approaching him with the interest of marriage. 

As much as Nezha liked being the center of attention, he _hated_ the fact that much of it came from these women trying to court him with their annoying presences, their incessant flirting, and their aggravating _touches._ A performance detailing the legends surrounding the mischievous Monkey King had just finished (the content of which Nezha found to be bullshit; how did that Wukong asshole get away with so much crap?) and since darkness was beginning to fall on Chentang Pass, the workers started to set up for an extravagant firework show on the stage nearby. From where Nezha sat (unfortunately still surrounded by suitresses), he could see you and Ao Bing striking up a chat near one of the buildings of the estate. The two of you seemed to get along quite well, and the dragon said something that made you burst into a fit of laughter. Ao Bing then proceeded to show you water and ice magic, and your expression exploded into a mixture of awe and delight at the display.

Gods, what Nezha wouldn’t give to be with the two of you right now.

One of the suitresses sitting near him lifted a cup of tea to her lips, and he briefly considered utilizing the Disguising Spell to change her tea into a frog, but then Ao Bing’s words rang through his head.

_Nezha, please don’t terrorize the partygoers. The last thing your people need is a battle on their hands because you upset some lord's daughter._

Nezha grimaced as another woman traced her finger along his bare chest, and she smiled sultrily at the young man.

"Nezha, what do you look for in a woman?"

"I like a woman who respects my personal space and isn't an annoying pest, for starters," he deadpanned, slapping her hand away.

As if sensing his friend’s plight, Ao Bing made eye contact with Nezha, and the latter gestured to the dragon to come to him. The draconic man seemingly excused himself, and you nodded, before turning your own head to Nezha. You flashed him a smile, and he returned one of his own, before glancing up at Ao Bing once he approached the young man.

“My friend, I finished speaking to your wife. She’s very charming, so I see why you like her.”

Clearly Ao Bing was aware that his statement would ruffle the feathers of the suitresses, considering that Nezha could feel the women burn holes into his back as soon as “your wife” left the dragon’s lips, but he didn’t care. In fact, yes! Brag to them, _make_ these idiotic women jealous!

One of them remarked how he could still at least take concubines while married, though the young man ignored her. All he focused on now was his chance to escape, and by the Gods, he was taking it. Nezha sharply stood and gestured for his friend to stand next to him, bending the dragon down to his height and whispering into his ear. From his peripheral vision, Nezha could see the nosy suitresses lean closer in an effort to listen.

“You’re royalty. You know how to keep people entertained, right?”

“I’m not royal in the traditional human sense, seeing as our culture differs from yours, but I can keep a conversation going.”

“Good!”

Nezha lightly pushed Ao Bing towards the group of women, smiling before taking off into a sprint and leaving a small trail of fire in his wake.

“Nezha—!” the dragon yelled after the young man, though Nezha showed no signs of slowing down or stopping. He did, however, look over his shoulder, and in the distance, he could see Ao Bing sitting among the suitresses, presenting himself as cordially and maturely as he could in spite of the awkward situation.

Oh well, Nezha would make things up to his friend later.

The young man swiftly turned around a corner leading to the outskirts of the estate, before pausing and furrowing his brows in thought. To overcome any further unwanted attention, he needed to transform into someone who had authority, but someone who wasn't himself or his parents. Someone with authority, but who also wouldn't attract any of the suitresses…All of a sudden, a thought clicked in Nezha's head, and a smile slowly crossed his face as his brown eyes lit up.

Master Taiyi.

Nezha recited the Disguising Spell with ease, and once his body was concealed by a thick cloud of smoke, he proceeded to take on the form of his master; his height shortened, his hands and fingers and legs fattened up, and his chin puckered out and sagged onto his neck. The young man quickly grimaced as he felt his stomach bulge out and stretch out his master's brown pants, and he just felt so _heavy_ from the sudden increase in weight. Fortunately, after a few experimental steps, Nezha was able to get a decent handle on manipulating Master Taiyi’s body, and his large belly swerved with each step he took as he wandered around the complex.

Eventually, the young man found you on your lonesome as you made your way towards the main gate, nodding to the guards and saying goodnight as you exited the Li residence. You stopped in your tracks as Nezha called your name, turning around as the young man quickly ran over to you, with his pale belly bobbing up and down from the quick pace. You smelled like you bathed recently (presumably after you finished preparing the fish), though the wonderful scent of the ocean still faintly clung to your body. Your clothing was a little more neatly put-together than usual, with your mid-length sleeves showing off your toned forearms (some would call you taboo and demand you wear sleeves up to your wrist; Nezha, on the other hand, found your display of skin to be attractive). Amidst his ogling, he didn’t realize you were trying to get his attention until he felt you pat his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Master Taiyi?"

"Oh, yes!" Nezha's eyes then flicked to the guards; he needed to transform elsewhere, lest they drag him back to the party. "I need to talk to you about something important. Can you come with me for a moment?"

"Of course, Master," you said with a bow, following him back into the Li residence as the guards allowed you to re-enter. The young man escorted you past the main event where guests chatted among themselves and stuffed their bellies with delicious food and drink, then walked you through the large group of people dancing to the beat of eccentric music, and lastly, stopped in the area of the estate where his room was located. Being off-limits to all but the Li family and important servants, no one but you two were present; the eerie quiet contrasted greatly with the bustling commotion within the center of the compound, and if Nezha weren't a fire elemental, he was certain chills would run down his spine from both the cool air and the unsettling quiet. The young man placed his chubby hands on his large hips, raising a brow at you.

"By the way, where were you going?"

You sighed, bashfully crossing your arms over your chest.

"I was heading home, Master Taiyi. I wanted to watch the fireworks with Nezha, but he's… _busy._ Not of his own accord, because it's his duty to entertain guests from the upper class, but…"

You laughed dryly, placing your hands on your hips and shaking your head.

"I just…I don't know what I expected. A peasant and a lord would never work out. At best, I can be his concubine, and that’s assuming I get _lucky."_

"Are you… _jealous?"_ Nezha asked softly, furrowing his stalk-like brows.

"A bit," you admitted, looking up at him and forcing a strained smile onto your lips. "But I still want what's best for Nezha. And if that means he marries one of the suitresses—"

"No," he cut you off with a hiss, taking a confident step towards you. "Don't say that. _You're_ the one I want to marry, not any of those annoying women." In response, you took a step back, eyes wide and a brow raised as a mixture of skepticism and disgust fell across your face.

"I-I think you've had too much to drink, Master. We should go back."

…Oh, right.

Reciting the incantation again, Nezha watched you flinch as the cloud of white smoke shot up from the ground and engulfed his body. From within, he could feel his physique lighten, his belly slim down, his limbs lengthen, his toned muscles tighten back up, and his face narrow down to its original size. Once the transformation was complete, Nezha stepped out the cloud and shot you a toothy grin, flirtatiously winking at you.

"Hey," he said with a hint of teasing in his voice. You narrowed your eyes and your lips tightened into a deep frown, appearing to try and discern who was currently in front of you.

"The Disguising Spell…? How do I know you aren't just Master Taiyi trying to flirt with me?"

“Try me.”

You crossed your arms again, though this time more with an air of confidence than with shyness. You walked in front of him and stood there (and as an adult, you were _shorter_ than he was, much to his delight), narrowing your eyes even more as you spoke.

“When you met me, it was love at first sight.”

Nezha stared at you for a moment, before bursting into laughter. His cackling echoed through the empty part of the estate you two stood in; thankfully, the echoes were drowned out by the main party a distance away, so no guards rushed to yours and Nezha's location.

“Not at all!” Nezha wheezed, a bit out of breath as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I hated you when we first met."

“Settles _that,_ then…Now, why were you transformed as—"

You paused for a moment, then your eyes widened as you came to a realization. Even in the dim moonlight, he could make out a blush on your cheeks, and it was even adorable of you to bring a hand up to your face in a futile attempt to block his view of you.

"Oh Gods, you heard everything I said…"

“I did,” he mused, cocking his head to the side. “Now that you've unloaded how you feel, I want you to come to my room with me."

"But—But I shouldn't—" you stammered in protest. Nezha leaned down to your height, removing your hand from your face, and smirked at you one again.

"It's my birthday, and as one of the attendees to my party, you have to fulfill my wishes. Besides, I didn’t just subject my best friend to torture for nothing. That, and…" as he continued speaking, a twinge of softness and vulnerability could be heard in his voice, to his dismay. He needed to keep up a cool persona, dammit. “I haven’t been able to see you the entire day. Which reminds me…”

Nezha cupped your cheeks and felt your face heat up on his palms as you averted your eyes. In response, the young man tilted your head, forcing you to look at him as he leaned his head closer. He stopped just a hair’s breadth away from your face, and the tips of your noses brushed together. _Nezha’s_ cheeks began to burn now, almost fever-like, and if he moved just a tad closer to you, he was certain the two of you would kiss.

"You're so cute when you're jealous,” he teasingly whispered, before pulling away. He heard you releasing a pent-up breath you had apparently been holding, and your chest lightly moved up and down with each inhale and exhale you took.

“Just—Just show me inside,” you muttered lowly as he pushed open the large brown doors to his room. He summoned a few wisps of fire to illuminate the dark room, before hearing you gasp and exclaim:

"Wait, hold on—you did _what_ to Ao Bing!?"

Nezha hummed with amusement as he ignored your realization of his words, though he assumed your concern quickly passed as your eyes scanned the room in front of you. The young man’s tantrums lessened significantly since he began his training with Master Taiyi four years ago, so the room didn’t appear as demolished as it used to be. But even so, the ceiling had visible cracks, brand new wooden floorboards mixed in with their older, slightly-discolored counterparts, burn marks stained the walls, and to the left of the doors was a visible seam in which attempts were made to patch up a hole Nezha blew into the wall when he was younger. In spite of the room’s flaws and imperfections, you continued to glance around in amazement.

“This is your _room?_ The walls are so ornate, the wood flooring looks so nice, the drapes on the corners of your bed are such a bright red—and your bed itself! It’s so grand!” you commented with a wide smile and awe in your voice, bounding up to the large mattress and sitting on your knees, tracing the fine patterns embroidered into the crimson sheets. “It’s a bit hard to believe this whole room belongs to one person.”

“What do you mean?” Nezha asked with feigned innocence as he looked down at your crouched figure. You turned your head to him and blinked, seemingly astonished by his answer.

“I didn’t grow up wealthy like you did, remember? Whether it was at my old orphanage or here in Chentang Pass, I’ve always shared a room with someone. Only time I’d get my own bedroom is if—”

“—if you get married and live with your husband, right?” Nezha finished with a wink, sitting onto the bed and gesturing for you to join him. “It’s the one thing the Matchmaker said that I paid attention to.”

You took a seat next to the young man, and the two of you were side-by-side together. From the window in his room, Nezha could see the lights from the festival brighten the sky with a soft red-yellow glow, and joining the lights in their quest to illuminate the sky was a pair of fireworks. The two of them whistled into the air like twin comets, spiraling and twisting around each other before bursting into a shower of bright reds and golds, causing the sky to flash white and red and gold as well. Eventually, the colors dissipated into clouds of wispy black powder, before being swept by a gentle gust.

"Well, I'm eighteen now,” Nezha quietly cut into the silence, continuing to watch the bright dancing display of colorful explosions.

"What with the huge party proclaiming your coming of age, trust me, I noticed," you ragged with a chuckle, turning your head to look out the same window as Nezha. The summoned fireballs combined with the soft white moonlight and occasional bursts of color from the fireworks lit the room quite nicely, he’d like to think, setting a tranquil tone for the room in spite of all the noise.

"Do you remember what you told me all those years ago?"

"Even if I wanted to forget, you’d never let me,” you teased again, gently nudging his arm with your shoulder, which caused him to turn and look at you. “But yes. I said I'd let you kiss me and court me."

Nezha nodded in acknowledgment.

“I still want to do both of those things, especially now that I know how you feel.”

You smiled and leaned towards him, only stopping just enough to leave a small amount of space between your faces. Nezha could feel the heat radiate from your cheeks (and he was sure you could feel his as well) and you responded with a whisper.

“Well, what’s stopping you?”

After processing your words, Nezha crashed his lips onto yours without hesitation, placing a hand on the back of your head to pull you closer into the kiss. To his delight (and albeit surprise) you returned the gesture, running a hand through his floating hair while the other rested on his thigh. The young man couldn’t help but chuckle as his nose bumped into yours, and you let out a small laugh of your own, before muttering a, “Stop making me laugh, Nezha,” against his lips. After a few moments, he hooked his hands underneath your ass (chuckling again as you let out a sound of surprise) and lifted you into his lap. You shifted your hips a little to make yourself more comfortable, and the young man couldn’t help but shudder as he felt you brush against his groin. Almost immediately, Nezha released a stuttered grunt, holding your waist down as he rolled his hips into yours, wanting—no, _needing—t_ o feel you against him. He could feel his cock begin to stir and a pleasure pool in his belly, and he pulled away from the kiss to hiss a moan through clenched teeth, digging his fingers into your clothed thighs.

"Someone's excited," you sultrily commented, and Nezha's eyes shot open as his face flushed. He was quiet as he looked into your eyes with a petrified expression, and he could tell you awaited a smart-ass remark, a cheeky quip, but _silence?_ The proud, cocky, and confident Nezha, _shy_ like a boy talking to his first crush?

“Nezha?” you asked once you didn’t hear an answer from him.

“I’m sorry,” he answered quickly, suddenly feeling boyish and abashed. “About... _this._ About how my body's reacting.” He figured his words took you by genuine surprise, considering that you had to pause for a moment before responding.  
  
“You’ve never been apologetic about your behavior before, though.”

“This is different; Master Taiyi says it’s a private matter.”

“Well, we _are_ in private, aren’t we? Just the two of us, having snuck off to your bedroom in the middle of _your_ birthday party.”

Nezha sighed, voice husky and shaky as he shuddered. Gods, he can’t think straight.

"For a while, I’ve been thinking about you a certain way."

"Oh?" you asked with a mischievous smirk.

"This hardness I feel…It’s 'arousal', I think Master Taiyi called it. I use my hand to pleasure myself, and when I do, I imagine you’re there with me. Then…”

Nezha released a stuttered sigh, and for a moment, it sounded like a moan. He buried his head into your shoulder, inhaling your sea salt scent, and in his current state of arousal, the way you smelled sent a rush through his body.

"Then, I get these contractions and a wave of euphoria. Once I start to finish, I can't stop, and this sticky fluid coats parts of my hand and stomach."

"Semen," you stated. Nezha looked at you, his eyes full of an oddly-innocent curiosity. "Or cum, or seed, depending on who you ask, but that's the fluid you're on about. An orgasm is the contractions you felt, and this whole process is masturbation."

Nezha blankly stared at you, and you sputtered, astonished by his lack of knowledge.

"Did…Did your master not tell you about _any_ of this?"

"He danced around the subject like a bumbling fool, so of course I don’t know about any of this. After he talked about arousal, he just said I would explore everything else in due time."

You hummed lowly and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, resting your forehead on his.

“Want me to ‘explore’ with you?”

“If…you would be alright with it,” he stammered. Then a thought clicked in his mind. "Actually, don't we need to be married first? The Matchmaker said—"

"All due respect, since when did you ever care about what the Matchmaker said?" You then leaned your head close to the side of his ear.

"Tell me what you want, Nezha," you whispered into it, making him shudder.

"You," he breathed, burying his head into your neck again and planting a series of kisses from the bottom of your ear to your clavicle. The kisses were fairly clumsy, yet passionate, and his head swam with thoughts of love and arousal. "I want _you."_

"You better," you replied with a slight husk to your voice, brushing your fingers through his hair as he continued on. All the while, he rutted against you again, breathing heavily through his nose and onto your skin. The force of his motions ended up moving you somewhat, making you roll your hips in unison against his clothed cock. "Because, rich or not, like _hell_ am I gonna lose you to some other women who think they can have you."

He could feel you tighten your grip in his hair and gently tug at it, before kissing the side of his ear. Nezha inhaled sharply as both sensations shot a tingling pleasure down his spine, shuddering as his hips stilled underneath you.

"Gods, Nezha, it…it was awful seeing them flirt with you. And…” He could hear you pant into his ear. "And I'd hate to be in a situation where I have to share you with concubines. Or even _be_ a concubine."

"Again, you’re cute when you’re jealous," Nezha breathed, trailing his hands under your shirt, caressing and feeling you underneath the rough hemp fabric of your clothes. His fingers brushed against the left side of your back, feeling at the large silvery-pink patch that was your scarred skin, height-wise spanning from your shoulder blade to just above your tailbone, and the width stretched from the side of your ribs to your spine. Your skin was simultaneously rough and leathery yet smooth and silky to the touch, providing a unique texture across that specific part of your body. Nezha’s brows furrowed as he opened an eye and scanned your scarred skin; a small feeling of remorse began to tug at his mind, and memories briefly flashed from the time he fucked up during the Heavenly Tribulation. From the time he…hurt you.

But he wouldn’t think about that now.

"It's just…since I've had feelings for you for a while now, I don't want anyone else getting in the way," you responded, arching your back somewhat as he caressed the scarred area.

"Since when?"

"Remember that day you called me your future wife in front of Chou? Started a month or two before that."

You gently tugged at his earlobe as he felt one of your hands trail down his abdomen and to his pelvis, and slipping underneath the waistband of his pants; you palmed his shaft, massaging it between your fingers and occasionally giving a few experimental pumps. Nezha exhaled deeply, slowly thrusting into your hand, smearing pre-cum over your fingers and inside the fabric of his pants.

“So I could've kissed you much earlier, then?” he asked between pants, untying the sash that held your top and slipping the rest of the garment from around your shoulders. Nezha took a moment to revel in the top half of your nude body, bringing his hands up to palm and knead your breasts.

Beautiful. Absolutely _beautiful._

"No, because I explicitly said we'd wait until you were older," you said with a wobbly smile, and your face heated up from the intimate contact. His thumbs brushed over your nipples, causing your breath to stifle for a moment before you released a low whine; from there, he decided that, oh Gods, he _needed_ to hear more of you. A second pair of arms materialized from behind him; his third hand squeezed and played with the flesh of your ass, while the fourth rested on top of your hip. All the while, Nezha removed his original pair from your chest and instead used them to hoist you further up onto his lap, wrapping his arms around your muscled, scarred back, and took your breast into his mouth, eagerly sucking on and circling his tongue around and across your nipple.

He was unsure what force drove him to do that, but he felt _damn_ good about it, especially once a few moans spilled from your mouth and he felt your grip on his cock become more firm as a result. Nezha’s breath hitched in his throat as he began to buck into your hand, reveling in how your fingers massaged his shaft.

"N-Nezha, it's your turn," you managed to breathe out. He grunted in protest, sucking a tad harder and using his fourth hand to pinch and roll your other nipple between his index finger and thumb. No, he wanted this to last.

"I want to see you too, you know," you said a little more impatiently, and he could feel you try to wriggle out of his grasp.

But he was having so much fun—

_"NEZHA."_

Nezha released a pitiful whine as you took your hand away from his cock and grasped his cheeks, pulling his head away from your chest with a loud wet pop that left a small trail of saliva between his tongue and your breast. You panted heavily, glaring somewhat at the flaming young man.

"I'm not going to be the only one who's naked, dammit," you huffed irritably, giving a brief kiss to the demon marking on his forehead. Immediately after, you stood up from his lap and worked to take off his tattered crimson top and his black pants, and Nezha watched with interest as you exposed more of his body. Once you fully removed his pants, his cock stood upright after it was freed from its confines, slightly shiny from the amount of pre-cum spread along the head and shaft. Nezha saw as you took the time to actually look over him now that he was fully nude; your eyes roamed from his face to his chest, then to his groin, and back up to his face.

"You're stunning, Nezha," you complimented him with a smile, leaning over him and using your fingers to trace the dark branching scars from his neck and his chest all the way down to his hips and pelvis. Your hands grasped his thighs, and he couldn't help but shiver from the contact, breathing huskily.

"Say my name like that again. _Please,"_ the young man begged as you briefly kicked your own pants off, before he pulled you back onto his lap and lustfully gazed into your eyes. He then kissed your lips, breathing hard through his nose and cupping your cheeks with his original pair of hands while the second pair kept a hold on your hips.

"Nezha," you murmured as he kissed you. He then moved onto your neck and planted kisses there as well; hot, heavy, and heated.

"Nezha…"

Finally, he took your other nipple into his mouth, ravenously sucking and flicking his tongue over it, while using one of his hands to tease and pinch your second one.

"Nezha…!" you gasped, clutching another fistful of his hair. Oh Gods, upon hearing that, if he wasn't hard before, he certainly would be _now._ He could even feel the heat of your cunt and your wet arousal beginning to dampen the shaft of his cock, and _Gods,_ you felt so warm, so _lovely._ Satisfied with your cry, he pulled away from your breast with a wet pop, and this time, _you_ were the one left wanting more.

"Why'd you stop?" you whined, slowly rolling your hips into his to get _some_ form of stimulation.

"I got what I wanted, didn’t I?" Nezha teased with a shitty grin, squeezing your ass again. "Though, also because I wanted to let you know that you can scream my name louder, you know. I want the suitresses to hear us.”

You stopped your movements and leaned forward, tugging at his hair again, and kissing his neck. Nezha deeply exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes and leaning his head back to give you more access. He continued speaking. “I want them to hear that I'm yours. They didn't seem to get the hint before, but they certainly will now.”

"You're such a troublemaker, Nezha," you said into his ear, chuckling.

"I know."

You laughed a little, and he took this opportunity to lift you into his arms and transition from sitting to lying down with his back on the bed, allowing you to stay on top. You leaned closer to him, propping your body weight on your elbows.

"Oh, Nezha, one more thing before we continue."

"Hm?"

You closed the gap and kissed him, trapping his cock between your bodies, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the small amount of heat and friction from the contact. Nezha groaned, using his original two hands to cup your cheeks. Meanwhile, his third rested on your hip and his fourth on your ass. You sighed into the kiss before you pulled away, smiling affectionately.

"I love you."

~~~§~~~

"Nezha, I need to go back to the village," you groaned, attempting to get out of the plush bed. Nezha cracked an eye open, glaring at you as he cradled you closer to his body to prevent you from leaving. The bright morning sunlight peeked in through the cracks of the walls and the ceiling in Nezha’s room, casting small rays and dots of light all across the interior. Nezha’s black hair was ruffled and messy, though it continued to float in the air. You were more or less in the same condition, waking up disheveled, but he didn’t care much about that.

What he _did_ care about, however, was going back to sleep.

"Why are you up so damn early?" he asked, voice gruff from early-morning disuse. You rolled your eyes, attempting to get out of the bed again.

"I _fish_ for a living, remember? Unlike you, I don’t have the luxury of sleeping in. Also, we smell like sex, so I need to wash myself off, and there’s also the fact I’ve been gone from my home overnight.”

"You can bathe with me."

"That doesn't fix my first or third problem. If I'm not back, everyone will figure out why I've been gone. It wouldn't be hard to put two and two together, Nezha."

"I don't care. Let them talk," he purred, pulling you back down and nuzzling into your neck. “Also, your father and siblings know how to fish. They can do it in your place. Perhaps I’ll even give them some money in return for you staying with me.” He could feel you push against him again, before you finally sighed, giving up and resting your head on top of his.

“You’re incorrigible, Nezha.”

He smirked, throat rumbling deeply as he hummed into your shoulder.

“I know.”


	3. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of an "extra" chapter. Takes place in-between the first and second chapters; specifically, right after the Heavenly Tribulation. I actually had a lot of fun writing this.
> 
> Enjoy!

_"I'm going away for a few years," Nezha said to you, snatching a piece of river grass as one of your cormorants hopped onto his right leg. The bird patiently waited as the fourteen-year-old looped and secured the grass into a knot around its neck. The grass was tight enough to ensure the bird wouldn't swallow larger fish, though just loose enough to allow the bird to breathe and eat smaller catches. It was an interesting yet delicate balance, Nezha thought, and easy to mess up if one was hasty and reckless with the tying. Once finished, the teen patted one of the thick perches built onto the side of your boat, and the bird obediently hopped onto it with a faint slapping of webbed feet on wood._

_"What? Why?" you asked with concern in your voice, briefly glancing at Nezha before reeling in a second bird to do the same thing. Currently, four of your other cormorants were raring to go, already roosting on the wooden rods above the boat. When you finished tying the grass knot on the last cormorant, it hopped off your leg and roosted on its own perch like the other birds. Nezha beamed a smile at you, puffing his chest out in confidence as you prepared to sail off._

_"Since you’re my second-best friend, I’ll tell you something awesome," Nezha responded, taking a seat behind you as you began rowing. “There’s a Spirit Pearl and a Demon Orb, which represent energies of Heaven and chaos. Turns out the reason everyone thinks I’m a demon is because the power of the Spirit Pearl needs to be kept a secret! I’m actually the Spirit Pearl incarnate!”_

_Though he couldn’t see your face, he could tell by your posture that his revelation stunned you. You stood more erect, your shoulders tensed somewhat, and you briefly stopped rowing. But, just as quickly as your reaction came, you immediately went back to guiding your boat through the water._

_“That’s…unexpected, Nezha,” you admitted. “But I’m happy for you. Still though, why’re you leaving?”_

_"I was getting to that."_

_Nezha hummed, leaning over the boat to scoop a few river rocks into his hands. From his spot he threw them into the water behind you, watching as they skipped before sinking into the water with a plop._

_“My parents want me to train so I can banish demons with them. ‘For the people,’ they said, but I could honestly care less. The only person I care about keeping safe is you.”_

_He paused for a moment, thinking._

_“And I guess your family, since you’re close with them.”_

_“And everyone else I know?”_

_“They can save themselves. Or get eaten, whichever happens first. Especially if it's Chou,” Nezha deadpanned, crossing his legs as he sat. Eventually, the boat sailed far enough into the water to be deep enough for fishing, though shallow enough for you to not encounter violent waves, and you gave the signal for the birds to head into the water. One by one, the birds dove into the river, speedily cutting and darting underneath the water with ease in a rush to chase after any fish they came across. Nezha crouched next to you and waited, watching your birds in action. One cormorant approached Nezha with a very large fish in its mouth, and he placed the fish into a storage net before rewarding the bird with a smaller fish to eat. The cormorant greedily swallowed the fish before diving back into the water. Nezha then called your name, and you turned your head at the sound of his voice._

_"Yes?" you asked._

_"Before I leave for my training, can we watch the sunset together?"_

~~~§~~~

Nezha's eyes groggily opened from the dream, and swimming colors of blacks and grays and whites filled his vision. Drums pounded and rang in his ears and his head felt light and floaty as if he were mindlessly drifting in an endless abyss. He swallowed, but barely any spit was made since his mouth and throat were dry like bones, and his throat tasted like iron. Dazed, the teen commanded his body parts to move, but only his fingers twitched pathetically; the rest of his muscles ached and throbbed far too much for him to move anything else. Nothing was broken (as far as he could tell, anyway). The surface of his skin seared with a dull stinging, and his chest felt tight with each burning breath his lungs took; for a moment, he considered _not_ breathing just to relieve himself of the pain. And, despite the light-headed sensation buzzing through his brain, his head physically felt like dead weight, as if someone tied a thousand pounds to his neck.

Nezha registered the smell of bitter herbs and healing balms mixed with the sweetness of burning incense. The rush of smells mingled together to sting his nostrils—sensory overload be damned—but despite the overpowering aromas in the air, the teen felt oddly calm. Thanks to the incense, perhaps?

To his dismay, Nezha could only weakly roll his head to the side like a newborn infant as he took in his visual surroundings. The darkness of night (or was it just his faded vision?) rendered him unable to see clearly, though on his left, he could make out the faint glow of candles and the silhouettes of two gargantuan doors, and on the right, the teen saw someone's distorted reflection in a mirror. Despite the blurriness and blackness of his sight, he determined that the person in the mirror had black hair that floated and swayed like gentle flames licking at the air. In addition, the person was covered to the brim with white strips and odd sewings on their body…bandages and stitches, perhaps?

In his delirious state, only after a minute did Nezha fully process that he stared into his own reflection in the mirror. The person on the other side was him. Him…

_Him._

Where was he?

Why was he here?

What _happened_ to him?

Nezha suddenly winced as a sharp pain jabbed into his skull, practically splitting it in two like a greatsword cleaving into an opponent's head. Hissing through his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, though unable to hold his head, the most he could do was tense his body, subtly arching his back from the pain.

Once his eyes opened, he saw an older version of the girl from the dream. She caressed his face with a feather light touch, before kissing his forehead. The teen then felt a heavy weight press onto his body; one half of his mind urged him to panic, to force himself to move in case she was a malevolent spirit, while the other half accepted the girl's touch, accepted her voice, accepted her presence.

Sleep now, she told him, brushing a faint kiss to his chapped lips. Sleep…

All inner protests subsided as Nezha's eyelids fluttered weakly, before finally closing as he felt his body slack.

Yes…Yes, he could do that.

~~~§~~~

_"One."_

_Nezha sighed. Time for this routine again: everyone froze in their spot, turning their heads in the direction of his bored voice as it echoed through the village._

_"Two."_

_Once again, the villagers' eyes widened and their lips quivered in anticipation of the upcoming terror. All of them were frozen like statues, but when he counted to three, he knew these morons would start running around like decapitated chickens. Same old, same old._

_"Three."_

_"This is your countdown to scare everyone, right? That's what Papa said, anyway."_

_How typical, he thought, as he heard the voice of a young girl behind him—_

_Wait, what?_

_Nezha whipped his head around to see you, a girl around his age (physically, anyway, considering he looked much older than he truly was), though the top of his head only came up to your chin. You stood there with a curious stare while balancing a thick wooden pole across your shoulders and using your hands for support. On the pole, two weird-looking black birds were perched on each end, and a basket hung by your left shoulder. Lastly, you smelled faintly like saltwater combined with fish._

_If Nezha remembered correctly, you were relatively new to Chentang Pass, having been adopted by the local fisherman family just under a year ago. The boy laughed dryly, kicking up some dirt and grass with his feet. Like hell he was just gonna let some gross-smelling fishing girl ruin his fun._

_"What, is someone weak like you going to try and stop me? I don't care that you're a girl; I'll kick your ass."_

_You blinked and your eyes widened from what Nezha hoped was fear._

_"No, actually," you replied with_ **_astonishment,_ ** _of all things (and now he was immediately disappointed). "I wanted to ask if you could come fish with me."_

_Nezha shot you a look of irritation before loudly bursting into laughter._

_"Why would I want to do something stupid like that, especially with a poor girl who smells like dead fish?"_

_You smiled, taking a moment to readjust the pole on your shoulders. The birds also adjusted themselves in accordance to your movement._

_"It gives you something to do besides tear down the village for the sake of your own temper tantrums."_

_Nezha growled and stomped up to you, grabbing a fistful of your shirt and forcing himself into your personal space. His face was close to yours, and he could feel your breath on his skin. He would never say it aloud, but the boy couldn't help but admit it was quite brave (or quite stupid) of you to not cower away from him unlike everyone else in the village._

_…He also would never admit he felt so_ **_annoyed_ ** _by the fact he had to stand on his toes just to be level with your height._

_"You want to say that again, outsider?" he hissed through clenched teeth._

_"You heard me loud and clear the first time. Now, are you coming or not? Or…"_

_He saw a twinkle in your eyes as your face grew with a mischievous grin. No, a shit-eating smirk was more like it._

_"Or, seeing how close you are to me, do you wanna kiss me first?"_

_Nezha, red-faced, immediately shoved you away, which caused you to stumble a little. He saw as the basket bumped into your shoulder and the birds flapped their wings to rebalance themselves. Despite him pushing you away, you shot him another malicious smile after you steadied yourself._

_"Shut up! Just for that, I'm destroying your stupid boat when we get on it!" the boy yelled, hatefully glaring at you. To his dismay, you merely laughed at his threat. Gods, your laugh was so cute._

_Wait, wait, no. Your laugh was_ **_not_ ** _cute. It was annoying, and ugly, and stupid, and—_

_"Can you swim?" you asked with a hint of taunting in your voice, cutting into his mental barrage of insults._

_"Of course I can!"_

_You huffed through your nose and rolled your eyes._

_"After being cooped up your whole life? We both know you'd drown, idiot. And I would drown trying to save you."_

_Nezha's heart leaped in his throat as he suddenly rendered himself unable to speak, and it seemed as if time itself stopped as the boy contemplated your words._

_You would…save him?_

_Before he could have you elaborate, you already turned and started walking in the direction of the local river. The boy caught up to you, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish (because Gods, you'd_ **_save_ ** _him._ **_Him!)_ ** _as he shoved his hands in his pockets and introduced himself._

_"I'm Nezha."_

_"I know," you said with another smile, though it was much gentler than previously. "I learned your name as soon as I started living here. Everyone said to watch out for you." In response, Nezha growled under his breath as you told him your own name._

_Of fucking course they did._

_Wanting to change the subject, the boy's eyes slid over to stare at the birds roosting on your pole._

_"So, what're the weird birds for? Do peasants use them for good luck or something?"_

_"They're called cormorants. They actually help us fish." You gestured to one of the birds, and he could see a loop of grass tied around its neck. "We put these on so they don't eat the bigger fish. But, the collars are still loose enough so they can eat any smaller fish they find, as well as breathe. We have a symbiotic relationship with them—we give them shelter and protection against predators, and in return, they help us fish."_

_Interesting, he supposed, knowing these gangly-necked birds helped keep the village (and by extension, the Li estate) stocked with fish._

_The boy quickly grew bored as you continued to drone on about the birds. He wanted to talk about what happened a minute or so earlier. But he decided to exercise some patience—he would wait until you took a pause instead of interrupting you then and there._

_And people swear he isn't ever respectful._

_"So, you…You said you would save me if I was drowning, right?" Nezha softly asked once you paused, though he tried to mask his vulnerable tone._

_"Yup."_

_"…Even if I destroyed your boat?"_

_"I'd be mad, sure, but I wouldn't let you die because of what you did,” you told him as the two of you approached a small fishing boat. The wood was an old faded brown and on each side of the boat were three perches. Inside the boat itself laid a few baskets, as well as a small net. In all honesty, Nezha was surprised the wood didn’t stink of rot. You sighed as you climbed in and set the pole into the boat, and the boy watched as the birds hopped on two of the perches._

_"But again, both of us might drown, so don't destroy it. Plus, this boat is my family's pride and joy as well as our business. If we don't have a boat, we can't fish. If we can't fish, we can't eat or make money."_

_You frowned, sliding your own basket off the pole and setting both items beside you._

_"You're rich, so you don't know what hunger feels like, nor do you struggle with money. You'll just grow up, marry some rich lady, and keep living the way you already do."_

_"What if I don't marry another rich person?" the boy countered, tilting his head with half-lidded eyes._

_Your expression transitioned to one of skepticism._

_"…Come again?"_

_"What if I want to marry someone poor and share my wealth? My wife and her family wouldn't have to worry about going hungry ever again."_

_"Don't be ridiculous," you chided, retrieving a paddle from inside the boat. "People from different classes can’t marry. Once a peasant, always a peasant."_

_You raised your head up and looked at him, continuing._

_"Once a lord's son, always a lord's son. Even if you do love a peasant, the Matchmaker will get you a rich obedient bride who you’ll live with for the rest of your life."_

_"As enticing as having an obedient bride sounds, I don’t want a woman like that," Nezha replied._

_"Fine, then. Who would take your fancy?"_

_The boy smirked._

_"I'd like someone who isn’t afraid to stand up to me. Keeps things interesting. It’d be a shame if things went stale soon after my wife and I got married."_

_"…If you're trying to ask for my hand in marriage, it's gonna be a definite no, Nezha."_

_"As if. You're annoying, anyway."_

_"Just get in the boat before I push you into the water."_

~~~§~~~

No, these weren’t dreams. They were…

“Memories,” Nezha muttered to himself as he stared at the dark ceiling. He once again awoke late at night (or maybe early in the morning?) to the sweetness of incense and the bitterness of balms, though the smells weren't nearly as overpowering as before. Through it all though, Nezha found himself missing… _something._

For some reason, he wanted to surround himself with the smell of the ocean.

With a grunt, Nezha propped himself on his elbows and sat up somewhat. His muscles still felt tight and sore, though he was at least grateful he could actually move this time around. The fire in his lungs died down, leaving him able to feel more of a dull pressure than actual pain. The same could be said for his head; no longer was he plagued by splitting migraines or dizziness, and now, there was nothing more than a light throbbing that left a quiet ringing in his ears. All this in combination _irked_ him, however, because his motor skills had yet to fully return. The teen felt he was trapped in an odd limbo of sorts—lucid enough to understand his predicament, but not physically capable enough to _do_ anything about it. At least when he was delirious, he didn’t constantly have time to think about how useless his body felt.

The teen turned his head to the right to look into the mirror again and trailed his eyes across the dark branching scars that swept and spread across his forehead, cheeks, eyes, and down the lengths of his arms, neck, stomach, and back. Did he receive a full-body tattoo at some point? Why did his skin sting where these markings were? After studying his reflection, Nezha released a hefty sigh and instead opted to think about his memories again. In addition to the girl, Nezha also recalled events with a blue-haired teenager with horns. A dragon, he believed the youth was.

“I am Nezha, third son of Li Jing and Lady Yin. I have two older brothers: Jinzha and Muzha,” he said to himself. As of the past few nights, remembering a few more events before making verbal attempts to piece his mind back together had become a routine. One of which he wasn't particularly fond of, but oddly-enough, despite his frustrations with the amnesia, he felt relaxed.

Definitely because of the incense, then.

“When I was a year old, I met a girl who wanted to play jianzi with me. The village freaked out as per usual, and a group of boys threw food at me.” Nezha felt the throbbing in his head begin to increase. Regardless, the teen continued to push on.

“After a few years, I turned…five, I wanna say. I met this girl who looked my age. She…she fished, and I didn’t like her. Then I met the dragon a bit later. They were my friends, I think.”

Unfortunately, his mind became flooded with the white noise of misplaced memories (something about marriage and best friends and a conch shell) as they were accompanied by the empty voids of all he had forgotten. Nezha cursed under his breath, tightly shutting his eyes as he tried to remember in spite of the headache he felt.

Who _were_ those two?

~~~§~~~

_"Nezha, what's this? My papa got it recently but he won't tell me what it is. He says I need to wait til I'm older to find out."_

_You and Nezha sat across from each other in a small clearing in the form of a dirt circle, stretching about twenty feet in diameter. The circle was surrounded by thick forest on all sides, giving the area much-needed privacy, so the two of you designated it as your meeting spot. A few insects sang into the evening air from their spots in the trees and even on some of the grasses that sprouted from within the dirt circle._

_Humming to himself, Nezha not-so-graciously snatched the slip of paper from you._

_"What, can you not read or something?" he snarked, though before the boy could read the message aloud, he noticed you went quiet. His eyes flickered to your face, and he saw you flush with embarrassment as you averted your eyes. Nezha sat there for a moment, slightly stunned, and looked back at the message, then you again._

_"Wait…you really can't…?"_

_"I can, just…not very well," you admitted quietly, voice beginning to quiver. "I…I can't write, either."_

_Nezha swore he heard you sniffle._

_"Well, it's an invitation for you from the Matchmaker," the boy said in an attempt to distract you from crying. "When you turn sixteen, she wants to start working with you to find suitors."_

_His gut tightened upon saying it aloud as he briefly thought of your future together. Considering you were the only villager who wanted to be around Nezha, he'd hate to know that one day you would move elsewhere with your husband, only leaving him with Ao Bing as a friend. But wherever you'd end up, Nezha would most certainly want to visit you, when he could._

_And when he does visit, your husband_ **_better_ ** _not forbid you to spend time with him, the boy bitterly thought._

_"R-Right…Thanks for telling me," you said with a forced optimism in your voice, before quickly bringing up a sleeve to wipe your eyes and hide your face. The boy felt a bit of remorse tug at his heart, and his stomach churned with an uncomfortable feeling._

_"You just turned eleven, right?" Nezha asked, folding the slip of paper and handing it back to you._

_You sheepishly nodded, taking the paper with shaky hands._

_What a stupid girl, he immediately thought with a sigh. Eleven years old and you were practically illiterate and uneducated. Not of your own fault, of course, but…_

_"Fine, I suppose I'll help you out in return for you taking me fishing. Just know that I don't feel bad for you, or anything."_

_Nezha cleared his throat, continuing._

_"Starting tomorrow, meet me here every afternoon since that's when the sun's highest in the sky. I'll bring some paper and books and help you improve your reading and writing."_

_You sat there staring with bewilderment, before your eyes lit up, and you excitedly hugged the boy to your chest. He groaned from the contact, gently pushing you away. Your face became sheepish for a moment, and you shot him an apologetic smile._

_"Sorry, I forgot you don't like being touched…But, thank you, Nezha!" you beamed, attitude completely shifting from a few seconds ago. You sniffed and wiped your tears again before continuing._

_"I'll be here every day, I promise!"_

_Over the course of many weeks, you diligently arrived every afternoon with an optimistic eagerness for the tutoring lessons. At first, your understanding of characters was comparable to that of a toddler's, and quite often you confused words together. In addition, your comprehension of stroke order was practically nonexistent and your pressure was uncontrolled and inconsistent. Your writing was sloppy and you always held the brush wrong ("Stop holding it like a foreigner," Nezha would chastise) but at least what you wrote was somewhat legible. However, much to the boy's surprise, you improved faster than he anticipated, and you were reading and writing as often as you could for the sake of practice._

_Dare he say, he was proud of your progress, like a master towards their student._

_One day, Nezha lounged in the dirt circle of the meeting spot, leaning against a tree and chewing on a blade of grass. The surrounding area was oddly silent besides the occasional rustling of trees. The lack of your presence wasn't helping matters, either._

_The boy felt a tad annoyed that you were running late, though he assumed it was for good reason considering how dedicated you were to punctuality over the past few weeks. Straight ahead of him, he saw and heard bushes roughly shake about, and before long, you tore through the foliage in a full run and came to a stop in front of him. You leaned over, panting heavily and apologizing for your tardiness._

_"You better not have forgotten," the boy said with an annoyed huff, turning his head and spitting out the grass before tightening his lips into a disapproving frown. You shook your head and defensively waved your hands in front of you._

_"No, never! I was writing you a poem and I lost track of time," you said once you caught your breath, fishing in your pockets for something. Nezha watched with interest as you handed him a messily-folded piece of paper (one of the practice sheets he gave you, in fact), and through his peripheral vision, he could see a wide, giddy smile grow on your face as he unfolded the sheet._

_Nezha is sweet like candy_

~~_Becuase_~~ _Because he is teach me read and write._

_Nezha is a bit scary_

_But hes not a demon_

_Because hes nice to me._

_Nezha sometimes comes to the vilage_

_The others run away_

_But I dont_

_Because I like Nezha._

_They shud (shuld?) get to know him!_

_A toothy grin of his own stretched across his face as his eyes scanned what you wrote. Nezha fell quiet as he read and re-read your words again and again, and if he were a more sappy individual, he'd start bawling from happiness. Admittedly, the content of the poem wasn't great, and your spelling and grammatical mistakes didn't help your case, but he didn't care._

_This was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for him._

~~~§~~~

Nezha awoke with a peaceful yawn, thankful that his chest and lungs no longer ached. He effortlessly sat up without complaints from his muscles, examining his arm as he curled and straightened his elbow. The teen experimentally flexed his bicep before stretching and curling the fingers on his hands. A few joints cracked here and there, but overall, he heard and saw nothing of concern.

Full range of movement. Good.

After a few moments, Nezha realized the room was noticeably brighter, and as he looked around the room, he spotted sunlight seeping through the edges of the curtains in front of the windows.

It was nice to finally wake up during the day, he thought.

The light highlighted some floating specks of dust and other particles in the air, and the light also passed beautifully through the smoke of the lit incense on top of a low medical cabinet. Various herbs, balms, teas, and incense sticks rested inside the cabinet, and Nezha also spotted neatly-packed gauze and materials for stitches. His bed was the only one in the area, leading him to assume he was not in his bedroom, but in the estate's medical area.

Nezha glanced over at the mirror, now able to see himself much better than previously, as he attempted to piece his memories together again.

“I am Nezha, third son of Li Jing and Lady Yin. I have two older brothers: Jinzha and Muzha,” the teen recited. “When I was a year old, I met a girl who wanted to play jianzi with me. The village freaked out as per usual, and Chou and his cronies threw food at me.”

Nezha looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

“After I turned five years old, I met a fishmonger's daughter, though I didn't like her at first. I met the dragon a month later. His name was—”

Nezha's eyes suddenly shot open.

"Ao Bing! His name was Ao Bing!"

As if on cue, memories surrounding his friendship with Ao Bing strung themselves together, starting from the time he and Ao Bing met, to the dragon showing him treasures from the ocean, to when they fought the sea yaksha together, to the…

To the Heavenly Tribulation.

Nezha recalled that he and Ao Bing were side-by-side, hands tightly clasped together as they attempted to absorb the energy of the violent storm. The lightning tore the sky in two, ripping his essence apart, bursting his blood vessels underneath his body, and shattering his mind and memory to pieces. Nezha's body cracked at the seams like broken porcelain, breaking his bones and shredding his muscles, yet all he could do was scream. Iron-tasting blood and acidic bile erupted from his throat, turning his cries of agony into pathetic wet sputtering—his lungs clawed for air, and if the storm didn't kill him, the asphyxiation and blood loss certainly would have.

As Nezha felt death's embrace, he remembered being wrapped in a warm light before a darkness closed around him and he fell unconscious.

As the series of memories finished, Nezha subconsciously took a deep breath and grazed a hand over his throat.

At the very least, he remembered one of the important people in his life. But nothing, _nothing_ came to mind for you, no matter how much Nezha tried to decipher his memories.

Nezha groaned, holding his head in both hands as he tried to remember, tried his _damndest_ to remember who you were. 

~~~§~~~

_"Put. Her._ **_Down,"_ ** _Nezha growled, tightly curling his fists as the sea yaksha wrapped his fingers around your waist in an iron grip. You struggled to no avail, causing the water demon to bellow with laughter._

_He sees you again after almost two years only for a demon to kidnap you?_

_"I may not have the small one anymore," the yaksha said, gesturing to the petrified state of Chou's kid sister. Her statue-esque body laid near Nezha, a quarter of the way buried into the sand. Ao Bing was next to her, also turned to stone, save for one of his eyes. "But this taller one will do as a magnificent meal," the sea yaksha finished, his voice dripping with hunger._

_The sea demon leered at you for a moment, dragging a clawed finger down the side of your cheek. Nezha could see you grimace, especially once the yaksha's hand trailed to your chest._

_"Breasts are especially a delicacy. Human fat tastes wonderful."_

_Nezha's pupils shrank and he readied a lunge, but he stopped once he heard you roar at the top of your lungs and ram your head square into the yaksha's jaw. A sickening wet crunch thundered through the air as teeth and a stream of spit and blood flew out of the demon's mouth, and he dropped you onto the sand below. Some saliva landed on your cheeks and the skin of your arm, petrifying those areas, though you managed to get up before anything else splattered onto you. Regardless of the fact your forehead was bloody and bruised purple from the impact, and that you likely had a concussion, you smirked (or as best as you could with a good portion of your face turned to stone) and sprinted towards Nezha, panting heavily. The monster panicked, feeling for the missing teeth and only finding freshly-broken and bleeding gums, before he looked at you with seething fury._

_"Hlat…_ ** _hurrht!!"_ ** _the demon roared, tongue uselessly flapping against gums instead of teeth as he spoke._

_Nezha saw you return the glare and wipe blood from your face right before it dripped into your right eye. The fluid then dripped from your fingers and onto the sand below, tainting the beautiful light tan color with your blood._

_"Kick his ass, Nezha," you growled, and a heated blush rushed across the fifteen-year-old's cheeks. He quickly realized not only how much you’d grown since he last saw you (while he still looked like a damn preteen), but also how fearless you'd seem to become. Hot damn, if he wasn't attracted to you before, then he certainly would be now._

_Nezha was snapped out of his thoughts as you collapsed onto the ground, staining the sand underneath you a crimson red._

~~~§~~~

As the doctor checked Nezha's wounds, the teen stared at the ceiling as he processed this new memory. He knew he was quite fond of you, whoever you were, and he recalled that after you fainted and your petrification was reversed, the townspeople accused him of kidnapping Chou’s sister and physically assaulting you. Nezha argued against it, of course, but the villagers were adamant despite Chou's sister coming to Nezha's aid. Soon after the confrontation began, the townsfolk attacked the teen in a one-sided battle—many of the villagers suffered from heavy bruising and broken bones, while Nezha garnered no injuries of his own. Eventually, Master Taiyi subdued him with the armillary sash, and the last Nezha saw of you, Chou swept your unconscious body into his arms and ran with you back to the village.

Nezha’s fists tightened as he recalled the event.

"We're all extremely relieved to see you awake, young master," the doctor cut in. "Your parents visited you multiple times every single day, only stopping when they needed to retire for the night."

Which was when I always happened to wake up, Nezha thought.

"Oh, and please relax your muscles, young master. You need to be as relaxed as possible while I examine your wounds. Any inflammation?"

"No."

"Bleeding?"

"No."

"Itching?"

"A little, where the stitches are."

"Then you're healing quite nicely," the doctor said with a warm smile as he applied a thick balm to the stitches. The teen said nothing else as the old man continued his work.

Eventually, the doctor finished the examination and obediently bowed before preparing to exit the medical area. As the doctor opened the doors to leave, Nezha could see the Boundary Beasts outside. Using their staves, they opened the forcefield and allowed the old man to exit. The Beasts were stationed _outside_ of the field rather than _inside_ like in the past, the teen noticed. As a result, part of Nezha bitterly wondered if the Beasts were there to keep outsiders from bothering him, or to keep _him_ from escaping and going on a rampage.

Standing for the first time in what felt like forever, Nezha grunted and stretched, rolling his shoulders and gently twisting his back. His joints gave satisfying cracks and pops from the movements, and once he was sure nothing else needed to be stretched, Nezha proceeded to walk towards the exit to the room. His legs stumbled underneath him due to disuse, causing him to curse under his breath, so he opted to walk in a few circles to practice using his legs again. Once confident he could efficiently move, Nezha straightened his back, standing tall and placing his hands into his pockets. His floating hair added to his height, making him appear as a sort of demigod as he strode to the exit with a confident gait.

Like _hell_ was anyone going to see him in such a weak state.

The teen opened one of the deep brown wooden doors, and it groaned lowly from the movement. Intense sunlight shot into the room once the door was fully opened. Nezha's pupils shrank from the sudden amount of light, and he brought up a hand to shield his eyes somewhat. After being surrounded by the scent of medicine and incense for so long, the clean air outdoors smelled oddly empty. Looking around from where he stood, Nezha could see workers making repairs to the parts of the estate that were destroyed during the Heavenly Tribulation. The people diligently worked in the heat, bodies stuck with sweat and muscles rippling from the arduous physical work. Masons chipped into stone with their hammers and woodworkers cut out new floorboards with their saws, creating a song of clanging metal and teeth grinding against wood. Above those workers laid scaffolding of some kind.

Most notably destroyed were the outer walls that separated the Li residence from the commoners of the village. Most residents of the upper class would complain about the lack of privacy, but Nezha didn't mind at all—in fact, he welcomed the demolished walls, because there was now one less barrier between him and the outside world he'd come to adore exploring.

One less barrier between him and _you._

After exhaling deeply, Nezha lowered his hand from his face and felt the warm beams of sunlight on his forehead. Ignoring the slight visual overload of bright light, Nezha sauntered towards the Boundary Beasts.

"You two," he said, and both Beasts jumped from surprise, their feet clacking against the ground once they landed. They both turned to him with wide smiles.

"Master Nezha! You're up!" the higher-pitched one exclaimed.

"How are you feeling?" the other asked.

"I'm fine. But I want to cut to the chase. There's a girl—no, a woman—who I'd like to see," he began, before describing your appearance. "She's a close friend of mine. In a week, I want one of you to escort her here."

The Beasts nodded. Satisfied, Nezha turned around and trotted back to the medical room.

"Oh, Master! What's her name?" one of the Beasts called out, though Nezha ignored him under the guise of not hearing what was asked. Once inside, the teen closed the door behind him, blinking back tears caused by the visual overload.

Damn, his eyes hurt.

Nezha wiped his eyes and leaned against the wall near the doors, crossing his arms over his chest. Perhaps…Perhaps your presence could help him regain his memory. He could always ask for your name again, though he imagined it wouldn't sit well with you. Of course, you would probably understand, but…

Nezha sighed, brushing a hand through his floating hair. At the very least, your name was on the tip of his tongue now.

~~~§~~~

_The demon chuckled darkly to himself as he watched chaos explode down below. The crowd of villagers dispersed like the cowards they were, running for their lives instead of fighting. Children screamed for their parents, brothers for their sisters, husbands for their wives…The misery, oh, the long-awaited_ **_suffering_ ** _of these people brought melodies to his ears. Any voice of reason was long gone by this point, having burned away and crumbled to ash, turning his psyche into a no man’s land. Only the voice of madness and entropy remained, pulling Nezha to its level with words of sweet, savage temptation._

 _Chaos. Destruction._ **_Kill._ **

_Nezha shuddered with delight and pleasure as his sadistic instinctual desires ran rampant within his mind and body. Oh, what a time to feel_ **_alive!_ **

_Out the corner of his eye, the demon spotted a young toddler, having gotten lost from her mother in all the commotion. The child looked frozen, as if she were petrified to stone, and her skin went pale as her innocent brown eyes met with the stark white eyes of the demon's. He licked his lips, grazing his tongue across his sharp canines along the way. The girl was easy prey, but he didn’t mind, because her fear, her terror, her anguish…_

_It all smelled_ **_wonderful._ **

_With a deafening roar and mad laughter, Nezha launched a ball of fire towards the child; it sped like a comet, causing a few mini-explosions in the air as it throttled ever closer to the ground. The girl cried for her mother as the raging flames barreled towards her, and her limbs wildly quivered and shook with terror. Unexpectedly, a woman who smelled vaguely of the ocean dashed in front of the girl and swooped her into her arms, before kicking her feet off the ground to roll out of the searing fireball's course of destruction. Unfortunately for the woman, the ball of hellfire collided with the left side of her back, exploding upon impact and incinerating her clothes and skin, causing the air to permeate with the smell of smoke and burning flesh and blood._

_Nezha’s ears rang as the woman’s shrieks and screams of pain and agony tore through air, rivaling the thundering storm of the Heavenly Tribulation itself._

~~~§~~~

Nezha gasped awake, screaming your name at the top of his lungs as the nightmarish memories assaulted his mind. His heartbeat sped and pounded far too quickly, his chest constricted with heavy pressure as he took in curt, panicked breaths, and his head buzzed while he heard high-pitched ringing. Blood roared in Nezha's ears and his muscles painfully tensed, and as he kicked off the sheets to the bed he laid in, he gasped for air, frantically looking around. The room blurred into one shape around him, and nausea creeped through his stomach. Suddenly, Nezha's lungs burned again as he continuously screamed your name and his muscles felt like they would tear any second, but fuck, were you still alive!?

Nezha held back violent urges to throw and break and _destroy_ until he found you, but the instant he heard someone calling his name, his head snapped in their direction. In his panicked state, he was unable to make out their form, and the rest of their words were garbled and incomprensible, but one factor brought him to reality somewhat:

Sea salt.

Without thinking, Nezha dashed towards whoever it was and wrapped them in an all-too-tight embrace, huffing and gasping heavily. The teen's eyes were wide with a mixture of panic and relief, and he buried his head into their shoulder to confirm, to _ensure_ that it was…

Yes. Sea salt.

It was you. Gods, it was _you._

As the panic began to subside, Nezha felt incredibly lightheaded as he looked up and took you in. It was _you,_ you, but _older,_ the you he saw in the yaksha memory. Your face was scrunched with worry and your eyes were wide from his outburst. He could see your lips move, but no sound came out since you were overshadowed by the ringing. Eventually, though, his hearing began to clear a little, and he could make out some of your speech. Your voice sounded rough as you spoke.

"…zha? Nezha! You scared me half to death! I’m here, I’m here…!"

Nezha wordlessly buried his head into your chest, and guttural sobs rumbled in his throat as he suddenly felt your clothes become damp against his cheeks.

"You don't need to cry," you said, bringing a thumb to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I'm here."

He was…crying?

“You were…I-I almost—” he choked out, voice hoarse from his shouting. In addition, his muscles began to quiver as an effect of his panic attack, and his hold on you loosened.

“Shh, I’m here, Nezha…I’m here.”

You led Nezha back to his medical bed, helping him settle down, and you sat next to the bed. You wiped sweat from his cold forehead with a cloth, and after you placed your hands on your legs, Nezha put one of his hands on top of yours and squeezed. The teen then took this time to get a good look at you. You managed to tone your body with a bit of muscle, and your face looked far more mature and adult-like than before. You'd grown beautifully since he last saw you, and he wanted nothing more than to cup your cheeks and kiss you until time itself stopped.

That would have to wait, however. Two more years.

"You're alive…" he breathed, staring into your eyes.

"I am," you confirmed with a faint smile.

"How long has it been since the Tribulation?" Nezha asked, voice suddenly trembling due to a mixture of worry, fatigue, and anxiety. He hated feeling vulnerable, especially around you, though he didn't have the strength to uphold his stubborn pride.

"Over a month," you said softly.

Both of you were quiet before you broke the silence with a sad sigh.

"Over the past two years, I missed you. I _missed_ you, and when you finally came back, you attacked your parents, you and Ao Bing fought, and that terrifying storm happened. You almost _died,_ Nezha! I haven't even slept much because I was worried sick about you!" you cried to him, face tensed up with anguish.

 _‘You attacked your parents and_ **_me,’_ ** the guilt-ridden part of him wanted you to say.

"Your back, how is it?" Nezha changed the subject with a sniffle, furrowing his brows with a tired expression on his face. Your tone was a bit softer now as you replied.

“It’s…not healed all the way, but it’s mostly there. There’s still a bit of pain and peeling, but some scar tissue is at least present.”

Oh Gods, that sounded…

“Let me see,” he quietly pleaded. You hesitated for a moment before nodding in response, wordlessly turning your back to him, untying your sash, which allowed the sides of your top to freely drape down your abdomen. Using his fingers, Nezha gently lifted up the back of your top, as well as the layers of gauze wrapped around your back and ribs. From what he could see, the skin on the left side of your back was a dull red, accompanied by tiny, slightly-inflamed bumps and peeled skin, all of it being covered by a thin layer of a healing salve (the quality of which also appeared to be far lower than what he was given). He gulped, and his hands shook violently from the sight, coming to terms with the _sin_ he committed by hurting you. He wordlessly lowered the gauze and your top, and you re-tied the sash around your waist. Upon you turning back around to face him, Nezha wordlessly removed the cloth from his skin and brought your head down to his, resting your foreheads together.

“I’m so sorry,” Nezha choked out, trying to suppress more sobbing. “I’m so damn sorry.” To his dismay, tears began to fall down his cheeks anyway, regardless of his efforts to hold them back. His face felt hot like fire, and he was certain his scrunched expression did little to help his proud ego, as well.

“I don’t want to say it’s alright, because it wasn’t, but I know you weren’t yourself, Nezha. Just know I don’t hate you for it.”

“You should.”

He heard you sigh again and felt your hands cupping his cheeks in your palms. You used your thumbs to wipe any tears that fell.

“No, Nezha.”

After a few moments, you began brushing the crimson markings underneath his eyes with your thumbs, and he could feel you tracing the branching scars on his face from when the lightning struck him.

The permanent reminders of his near-death experience.

Regardless, he'd be lying if he said his heart didn't skip a beat from the contact.

"You know…You finally look your age now," you told him with a more lighthearted tone of voice.

You both chuckled.

"That's one good thing about this form, at least," he replied.

Another set of small laughs, then you were both quiet again. Nezha closed his eyes, leaning into your comforting touch. The tears began to subside, though Nezha's cheeks still felt warm from his panicking and crying. He sniffed.

Even if you never reciprocated his feelings, Nezha wouldn't mind staying like this forever, feeling calm and collected and soothed by your presence and touch. The fact that you were _alive_ was enough for him. The teen could feel sleep begin to overtake his body as he fell a bit limp, but his eyes opened once he heard you call his name.

“Nezha?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t…Don’t do that rampage thing ever again, or else I’m not taking you fishing with me anymore,” you said with a dry chuckle. “Also…”

You took a deep breath, before glaring at him through puffy, bloodshot eyes.

"We're catching up once you fully recover. Understand?"

Nezha laughed a little, sitting up despite the aching and shaking of his muscles and throbbing head. He tried not to let his discomfort show, but a rogue grunt or two escaped from his lips. In response, you rested a hand on his back to help keep him balanced, and he smiled at you.

"Since you're already here, why don't we just start now? Tell me all that's happened since I last saw you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we're done here, folks! Might write a follow-up to this, but who knows. We'll see.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed these three chapters!


End file.
